Bengaluru: The National Institute of Mental
Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans), Bengaluru, has developed a self-care
application as a tool to tackle depression. Practise and Use Self Help for
Depression, or PUSH-D, will likely help sufferers - a vast majority of who don't
seek help - overcome various barriers and begin to deal with their mental
health condition.
Nearly 150
million people in India suffer from mental health conditions and are in need of
active interventions, according to Nimhans' National Mental Health Survey of
India, 2015-16. The exhaustive 12-state survey of 34,802 individuals found that
one in 20 Indians suffers from depression, with a higher incidence among women,
the elderly, and those in urban metros.
“The survey indicates that more than 60 per cent
do not seek professional help for various mental health problems including
depression. There is a need for multiple measures to address this gap,” says Dr
Seema Mehrotra, professor, Nimhans' department of clinical psychology, who lead
the team developing the PUSH-D app. The team includes Dr Paulomi M Sudhir, Dr
Girish Nagaraja Rao and Dr Jagadisha Thirthalli of Nimhans, and Professor TK
Srikanth of IIIT, Bangalore.
The many reasons for this are lack of awareness,
stigma including self stigma, lack of access, time constraints in urban areas,
and treatment cost, she says. “People have mixed feelings about seeking help
for a mental condition. We wanted to see what we can do to help more people,
and this is where technology comes in,” says Dr Mehrotra.
As part of a two-year research project, funded by
the Indian Council of Medical Research, the team worked on creating a private
and personal tool that a person would be able to wield in the battle against
depression. In the works for nearly a year-and-and-half, PUSH-D is currently in
pilot testing phase, and the study is expected to be completed later this year.
But the app is in no way meant to be a self
diagnosis tool,” warns Dr Mehrotra. “The diagnosis is arrived at only after a
thorough evaluation. This takes between one to two hours and is done either
face-to-face or via Skype. Only if the depression severity is mild to moderate,
and we feel the person can benefit by self-care, then we will generate a
username and password for him/her to access the app.” The PUSH-D app, available
through a website (https://echargementalhealth.nimhans.ac.in) and on Google
Playstore, has two components: essentials zone, which requires the user to go
over a series of sections in a predetermined sequence, and an optional zone,
which has sections that can be accessed in any order.
The
techniques utilised are based on the principles of cognitive behavioural
therapy, positive psychology and interpersonal therapy all psychological approaches relied upon by
clinical psychologists during face-to-face therapy with clients. “There are
exercises that a person can take, and the responses would be recorded in a
‘workbook' on the app. At the back end, Nimhans' team will be able to monitor
these for appropriate intervention as and when required,” adds Dr Mehrotra.
a scheduled routine as one would while interfacing with a therapist. Considering people drop out of therapy or skip sessions, the app has devised a way to monitor progress and maintain motivation. There's a reminder on the app, motivational quotes, and reasons why the user shouldn't give up midway. The user is also assisted through weekly supportive calls. “PUSH-D is available in English for now. We want to create Hindi and Kannada versions if we can manage funding support for the same,” adds Dr Mehrotra. “We hope to complete the pilot trial by September.”
Source: DNA 3rd January,2017
